Alan Pardew's side took the lead through Cisse's compatriot Demba Ba, who marked his return from African Nations Cup duty with his 16th goal of the season in the 30th minute.

Robbie Keane, on loan from LA Galaxy, equalised for Villa deep into first half stoppage-time. Cisse, who was only available due to Senegal's earlier than expected exit from the African Nations Cup, had come on as a first half replacement for the injured Leon Best.

He bagged the winner in his first appearance since his £10 million transfer from German club Freiburg with a powerful finish past Shay Given in the 71st minute. The Magpies climbed above Arsenal into fifth place, level on points with fourth placed Chelsea, thanks to Cisse's heroics.

City open up leadManchester City opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League with 3-0 win over Fulham as Arsenal returned to form with a 7-1 thrashing of Blackburn.

City, who suffered a surprise defeat at Everton in midweek, bounced back with a straightforward victory over the Cottagers at a blizzard-hit Eastlands on Saturday.

Sergio Aguero set City on the road to three points with a first half penalty before Roberto Mancini's side eased into a 2-0 lead with a Chris Baird own goal. Edin Dzeko added a third on 72 minutes.

City boss Roberto Mancini said: "It was a good performance. The players were fantastic. It was very important to win after the defeat at Everton in midweek. It was important for our future. I hope now we can continue to win all our games."